April 19, 2012
Matt Winkeljohn, Sting Daily –
There’s a first for everything, although in the case of Jack Carswell it wouldn’t be quite right to say that he’ll be attending his first Georgia Tech spring football game tonight.
The “night” part is right because when the Jackets get rolling at 7:45 p.m. in Bobby Dodd Stadium it will be an inauguration of, “Friday Night on The Flats,” the first-ever Tech spring game held in the evening.
And if you’re willing to bend syntax a little, Carswell will be attending his first spring football game as a member of the “real world.” He last attended a spring game in 1965 while a student, but while he’s been a season ticket holder since shortly after entering the work force in ’67, he has skipped every spring game in the interim until now.
There are solid reasons for his decision to drive from Augusta, stop in Madison, Ga., to pick up another Tech fan, motor into town to meet several other fellow Tech fans/bloggers for dinner before an a few hours on The Flats.
Specifically, he’s interested in, “Friday Night on The Flats,” sponsored by PNC Bank, and designed to include pre- and post-game concerts, post-game fireworks, and several events around the stadium tonight – for no admission fee.
“[Spring games] usually just don’t interest me, but I thought this could be really cool,” said Carswell, who retired as a nuclear engineer in 2000. “It can be different. [Plus], it will be a chance to see [touted backup quarterback] Vad Lee.
“That was the priority and what really got me going, the Friday night deal really sort of intrigued me.”
In a way, Carswell can consider this a family affair, albeit one where he’s not bringing actual family along.
That stop in Madison will be to pick up one of several Jacket fans that Carswell has met through The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Tech blog. They’ll meet a few other Tech fans/bloggers to grab a bite before heading over to Bobby Dodd.
To better get a grip on this, let’s review some of the handles used by the group that is making an event out of Tech’s first-ever spring game. There will be, “1 4 GT,” “GT Lee,” “ole yeller,” “BigTimeTechFan,” and, “5150 UOAD.”
Those are the blog handles used by some of the folks Carswell will hang out with.
For a better idea about their disposition, consider that the last letter in, “5150 UOAD,” stands for a canine, and the first letter is a replacement for what used to be a, “P.” Think of a verb, and relief and . . . well, there will be bathrooms open in the stadium.
Carswell and the gang, which may grow to include other frequent AJC bloggers including the legendary, “Supersize that order, mutt,” and maybe even, “Tokyo Jacket,” and, “Epic Gold.” After dinner, they’ll head over to Bobby Dodd Way and Callaway Plaza, where activities are to begin at 5:30.
There will be live music (provided by 99x), inflatables will be open for children, food and drink will be available, Buzz the mascot and Tech cheerleaders will be around, and more. Generation Now will provide pre-game entertainment and Civil Twilight will perform afterword, as fireworks are launched from Atlantic Station.
Also on the Plaza, 790 The Zone will be live from 10-1 with the Barnhart & Durham show, and again from 3-7 with Bell & Archer.
“I think it’s a great idea, and I’m looking forward to it,” said Carswell, who took undergraduate and graduate degrees from Tech in ’66 and ’67. “I’m looking forward to seeing the team, and meeting up with the guys. It’ll be a lot of fun.”
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